Anger

The PAN and the PRI have had on ongoing set-to the past couple of days. I'm not going to try to go at this chronologically, but here some of the salient episodes: Germán Martínez said that the PRI has connections with the drug violence in Juárez, and asked whose side the PRI was on in the battle with organized crime. Beatriz Paredes responded that under PAN leadership for the last two presidential terms, organized crime has grown precipitously. Previously, Martínez had also said that had Mexico had in place an asset seizure law whose passage is presently being delayed by the PRI in congress, el Chapo Guzmán never would have appeared in Forbes. Martínez added for good measure that the PRI was behaving like a pack of "legislative turtles." Manlio Fabio Beltrones told Felipe Calderón to essentially "be a man" (que se faje los pantalones in Spanish; not a great translation, can anyone think of a better one?) in dealing with a handful of issues. Fernando Gómez-Mont demanded respect for the president in response.

All of this is entertaining enough, but Martínez went over the line in connecting the PRI with Juárez. Mexico's political culture is poisoned by the idea that everyone is a crook, and Martínez contributed to that by tarring the entire party when, even if his accusations are correct, the issue is certainly limited individual members of the party. Failing to back up broad accusations with specifics makes it easier for everyone else to do the same, which creates a far more hostile atmosphere (and ultimately makes passing laws a lot harder). When there actually is a need to point the finger at a dirty politician, with so many unsubstantiated accusations swirling, it's a lot easier to blow off any charge as political mud-slinging. I imagine that the DEA isn't thrilled about him using their information for political purposes as well.